Apple could debut Surface-style keyboard cover alongside iPad 5

Former employee claims Cupertino interested in pro accessories

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With anticipation for Apple's media event Tuesday now boiling over, a former Apple employee has a claiming that Cupertino is working on a keyboard-equipped iPad case that bears a striking similarity to the competition.

Former Apple Developer Relations employee Jamie Ryan wrote on his blog over the weekend about a potential new iPad accessory we might see unveiled alongside the fifth-generation tablet on Tuesday.

Ryan describes how two colleagues still working at Apple told him the company is working on "a case for the full size iPad that mimics Microsoft's Touch Cover" with "a few different styles" being tested.

Presumably, the ex-staffer is referring to Microsoft's Touch Cover, a popular option for its Surface tablets that offers users both protection as well as a low-profile, tactile keyboard for typing on the go.

Distinctively pro?

While it's unclear if such a keyboard cover will actually make the cut at Apple's media event in San Francisco, Ryan points out that the only official keyboard accessory is a bulkier option that utilizes Bluetooth.